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MiDAS Mark II (Timeline B)
The Mendili Defensive Armor System Mark II (MiDAS-II) is a versatile armorsuit which entered production in 4127 ABY, one year before Mendilos became one of the founders of the Fourth Republic. Though initially used by only a few of the Fourth Republic's Marine units, the armor became standard-issue for the Marine Corps by 4129. It boasts protection on par with the much bulkier and more expensive Mark I suit, and far outclasses most of the older body armor - acquired when the Corps absorbed numerous planetary defense forces - the MiDAS Mark II eventually phased out. This protection is attributable largely to the E-MAP, or Electro-Magnetic Armor Polarization, system. History After the moderate success of the MiDAS Mark I, Mendili Arms Corporation began looking over feedback to see what the principle problems with the armor had been. It was determined that the two greatest issues with the suit were its bulky size and its high cost. Both of these, as it so happens, were eventually solved by the adoption of a new and improved E-MAP conductor material, and the Mark II suit was released in 4127 to tremendous success. In 4128, several armor variants were produced, notably the lighter, increased-mobility "Recon" variant and the stripped-down "Security" variant. Several months later, the Mendilos became one of the founding worlds of the Fourth Galactic Republic, and since then MiDAS-II suits have been sold almost exclusively to the Republic Marine Corps. The RMC, by the start of the Confederacy-Republic War in mid-4128, had equipped about half of its forces with the new armor in a miltary buildup (responding to the scores of terrorist attacks that plagued the fledgling nation). When the war erupted, the Republic's contracts for MiDAS-II armor were dramatically increased, in response to the rapidly-enlarged Marine Corps that resulted from the Republic's assimilation of the Second Galactic Empire. The base MiDAS-II suit provided inferior protection to most other standard-issue body armor in service with either the Republic or the CIUS, but the E-MAP system's recharging capability gave the MiDAS's wearers an outstanding survival rate in the long run. The armor, issued to all Marine units by 4129, served reliably for the duration of the war, where its recharging E-MAP system earned the praise of many a Marine. Though the MiDAS-III armor was developed during the war, it is currently too expensive to produce in large numbers, and is expected to remain that way until the underlying technology behind the Mark III's powered movement systems becomes significantly cheaper. As such, the MiDAS-II is expected to remain in service for years to come. Characteristics The MiDAS Mark II's most noteworthy attribute is the E-MAP system, which uses molecular polarization to physically strengthen the suit's armor plating. The E-MAP accomplishes the same goal as a portable shield generator, increasing survivability of the suit's wearer, but requires much less energy output. As a result, a weakened E-MAP system can recharge very quickly, even in the heat of battle. This comes at a tradeoff of immediate damage resistance; shield systems can generally absorb more damage than a polarization field, and ordinary body armor tends to be rather more durable than the E-MAP conductor material that lines the exterior of the MiDAS-II armorsuit. Armor Variants Soldier The standard MiDAS-II, nicknamed the "soldier" armor by many who wear it, is the original armor variant. It boasts excellent protection, possessing both twice the armor strength and twice the polarization of the recon variant, but at the cost of mobility and versatility; jumping in the soldier armor is nearly impossible, movement speed is slowed a bit, and the wearer can carry only one full-sized weapon and one small pistol or blade. This is by far the most common variant of the armor, and the only one designed to be used on an open battlefield by front-line infantry. Recon The MiDAS-II/r, or "recon" variant, is a weaker but lighter and more versatile system than the soldier armor. It has half the durability and polarization of the soldier armor, but in return the suit's semi-powered legs allow for superhuman jumps (at least for human wearers), and the lighter armor allows its wearer to run slightly faster. The recon armor furthermore features an improved electronics suite and HUD. Last, but perhaps most important, Recon armor allows a full-sized secondary weapon to be carried. The recon armor is often favored by commandos and scouts, who appreciate the added versatility and are skilled at either avoiding combat or battling unfavorable odds. Security Essentially stripped-down soldier armor, the MiDAS-II/s was designed as a cheap- and easy-to-produce armorsuit to be given to system defense forces. It is produced exclusively by a Mendili Arms Corporation plant on New Alderaan, so as to avoid taking resources away from the production of the other armor variants. It is identical to the soldier armor in many respects, but it has half the armor strength and polarization. As a result, this "stripped-down" MiDAS-II variant was largely phased out during the war. Category:Timeline B Category:Up-to-date Article